Haiti in the 21st century

Aristide faced serious economic and political problems on his return to power in 2001. International aid sanctions, imposed after the 2000 elections, helped fuel a downward economic spiral that further impoverished an already desperate population. Instances of disease (including HIV/AIDS) rose sharply, as did levels of lawlessness and violence. Aristide’s second term was marked by accusations of corruption, and open opposition to rule broke out in 2003. The bicentennial observance of Haiti’s independence, on Jan. 1, 2004, was muted and was marked by street demonstrations. By late February Aristide had fled the country in the face of a rebel insurgency and the loss of U.S. and French support. Assistance from abroad slowed, and Haiti’s main source of income came from remittances from Haitians overseas.

Aristide’s departure left a polarized country, and conflicts between his supporters and his rivals escalated, leading to hundreds of deaths and international accusations of human rights abuses. Concurrently, U.S.-led armed forces under the authority of the UN Security Council were sent to Port-au-Prince to stabilize the situation and to oversee the installation of an interim government.

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH [French: Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti]) assumed authority over the international intervention in June 2004 with a mandate to maintain security, help stabilize the political process, and monitor and promote human rights. MINUSTAH personnel included thousands of Brazil-led military troops, police, and volunteers from countries around the world. However, various human rights organizations accused MINUSTAH and the UN- and U.S.-trained Haitian National Police force of having committed atrocities against political demonstrators and other citizens. In December 2004, at hearings in Brazil, the MINUSTAH commander testified that the mission had been strongly pressured by the international community to use violence. Most of the force was directed against groups in the slum areas of Port-au-Prince that held strong allegiance to former president Aristide; those groups were often termed “gangs” by MINUSTAH and the media.

The interim government, planning to hold presidential elections by the end of 2005, had registered about three-fourths of eligible voters, but crime, kidnappings, and gang activity delayed the election process. On Feb. 7, 2006, 63 percent of Haitian voters went to the polls, and Préval claimed the presidency, earning 51 percent of the vote with the overwhelming support of Haiti’s poor. A sense of optimism prevailed throughout that year, but increasing food and fuel prices during his term led to protests. Moreover, government instability—the parliament rejected Préval’s nominations for prime minister several times—impeded social progress.

Violent riots against high costs of living broke out in April 2008, and much of the anger was directed toward the government and MINUSTAH. Several people were killed and dozens injured. As a result, the Senate dismissed the prime minister, Jacques-Édouard Alexis, but his replacement, Michèle Pierre-Louis, did not take office until September. Pierre-Louis was Haiti’s first female prime minister, and her selection seemed to offer promise that a new generation, including women, was taking the reins of power, albeit that the personnel still came exclusively from the urban elite. However, in October 2009, Pierre-Louis was ousted by the Senate, which criticized her for having done little to improve the country’s living standards. She was replaced by Jean-Max Bellerive, who had served as minister of planning in her cabinet.

Meanwhile, the country was subject to two major natural disasters within a year and a half. In August and September 2008 a series of hurricanes ravaged the country, killing nearly 800 Haitians and displacing hundreds of thousands. Flooding destroyed crops, and the country had to rely on international relief efforts. Rebuilding was hampered by a lack of government action and continued violence both from Haitians and from MINUSTAH. Disaster struck again on Jan. 12, 2010, when a devastating earthquake southwest of Port-au-Prince resulted in massive damage and considerable loss of life in the capital and surrounding region. The quake caused the collapse of homes as well as public buildings, such as hospitals, schools, and almost all the important national government buildings—including the National Palace (which was ultimately condemned and torn down in September 2012), the parliament building, the main post office, a number of ministries, and the city hall. The day-to-day operation of the government was effectively halted for a time. It was estimated that some three million people were affected by the quake—nearly one-third of the country’s total population. In addition to a death toll of 316,000, more than one million were left homeless. An international effort was mounted by multinational organizations and countries around the world to provide aid to the country.

Long after the 2010 earthquake an estimated 1.3 million survivors were still living in makeshift shelters, generally with only rudimentary sanitation and other facilities. The bulk of the refugees were still in Port-au-Prince, and much of the city remained in ruins. With so many people crowded together, concerns were high that an epidemic might strike the camps. Beginning in mid-October 2010, nine months after the quake, a cholera outbreak did hit Haiti, killing thousands of people and afflicting thousands more over the course of several months.

Amid the continuing chaos, the presidential election to choose Préval’s successor, which was to have taken place in February 2010, was delayed until November 28. Voter turnout was low, and allegations of electoral fraud were widespread. No candidate received a majority of votes cast, and the top two—popular musician Michel Martelly and Mirlande Manigat, a legal scholar and the wife of a former president of Haiti—faced each other in a runoff election on March 20, 2011. Martelly was declared the winner on April 21.

In late October 2012 Hurricane Sandy wreaked further destruction on Haiti’s ongoing efforts to recover from the 2010 earthquake and subsequent setbacks. Dozens died in floods and landslides, and the storm caused extensive property damage, including the destruction of roads and some two-thirds of the crops in the southern region.

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